A/N: Happy Reading and don't forget to comment! ☆

The boy dropped down and grabbed their leg.

"..."

"Sorry," the boy gasped, "foot cramp."

"Are... are you okay?" Luo Binghe reached out a hand hesitantly.

"..."

Then-

"Oh."

The boy blinked.

"It's gone."

"..." Luo Binghe does not know what to say after that.

"MeoOw." Xiao Jiu begins licking itself.

There was silence. The only sound was the rain pattering continuously on the ground outside of this alley.

Then-

"...what were you doing behind the vase?"

"I uh-," Shen Qingqiu decided it'll be less awkward if he just says the truth. "I came here often to feed the cat. And you caught me by surprise."

"Oh," the boy bobbed his head.

"Then why didn't you come out earlier?" he then asked.

"..." Shen Qingqiu decided to change the subject. "Are you here to feed this cat too?" he asked.

Then Shen Qingqiu recalled that the boy came empty-handed.

"Sometimes," the boy smiled sheepishly, "but Xiao Jiu here seems a bit, erm, well-off, so I just come here often to play with him. I supposed it's because you were the one feeding him." the boy glanced at the cat food Shen Qingqiu had brought.

"You named the cat Little Wine?" Shen Qingqiu asked, slightly quizzical.

Luo Binghe vigorously shook his head, "No, it's Little Nine, as in the number nine," he said, showing nine fingers.

Shen Qingqiu lets out an 'ah' in understanding.

"You come here often?" Shen Qingqiu queried. He found it strange that if this boy comes here frequently, how is it that they haven't encountered earlier?

"Yeah, I usually come a little later though," the boy replied, answering Shen Qingqiu's unsaid question.

"It was raining and I was afraid something might happen to Xiao Jiu," the boy went on further explaining.

Xiao Jiu was still licking itself.

"...you seem to care a lot about this cat." even though this cat is a brat who doesn't know how much premium cat food costs.

"Yes, Xiao Jiu might be a little grumpy sometimes, but he's a good cat! :D And he's pretty unique, there aren't many all white-furred cats around." After saying this much, the boy attempts to pick up Xiao Jiu.

The cat hisses and squirmed its way out of the boy's grasp, its tail smacking the boy across the face.

"Oh..." the boy tries to grab hold of the cat again. The cat expertly dodged him.

While this was going on, Shen Qingqiu took the chance to clearly look at the boy in front of him.

The boy was good-looking. Definitely above average. Precisely what he'll call a pretty boy. He has black hair that looks particularly soft. Shen Qingqiu has the urge to reach out and touch it just to see if it will feel like that over-fluffy stuffed fox Xie Lian kept in the common room back at the dormitory.

Which Shen Qingqiu could not tell you how many times he tripped over that thing.

Anyway, ahem, the boy also has these pair of starry brown eyes, which currently expresses confusion as to why the cat kept trying to avoid him.

So in short, this boy in front of him looks pretty harmless. Actually, very harmless, Shen Qingqiu would say as he watches Xiao Jiu using the boy's face as a launchpad to pounce on the tall recycle bin.

The boy finally gave up. He turns to Shen Qingqiu with another sheepish smile.

"Sorry, I think Xiao Jiu's a bit extra grumpy today."

"MeoOw!" Well, excuse you!

"It's alright, Xiao Jiu here is always 'extra grumpy' with me," Shen Qingqiu replied wryly.

Xiao Jiu: "..."

Just then the boy's phone buzzed.

The boy stood up and took his phone out of the pocket of his jacket.

Of course, Shen Qingqiu also stood up. And then he realized how tall the other boy was. Shen Qingqiu had always thought he was pretty tall. But the boy in front of him is a couple of inches taller. Damn it.

Shen Qingqiu nonchalantly took out his phone also. He checks the notifications. Two text messages from Xie Lian and fifty-four from Shi Qingxuan.

"Erm, I have to go," the boy suddenly says.

"Hm? Oh sure," Shen Qingqiu looked up.

"I, um," the boy scratches his head, "I hope we can meet again." The boy smiled at Shen Qingqiu again, though this time it had too much wolf in it to properly call it sheepish.

"Sure, uh, it's still raining," Shen Qingqiu glanced at the empty-handed boy.

"...it's okay, I can run," the boy grinned, "Goodbye! I hope we can meet again!"

"Don't you want to tell me your name first?" Shen Qingqiu asked. This boy is a little...

"...oh. Oh yeah. I'm Binghe! Luo Binghe! :D!" Luo Binghe said enthusiastically. "What's yours?"

"It's Shen Yuan, it's nice to meet you. I guess."

"Yes! It was very nice to meet you!"

"...right."

The boy continues smiling at him.

"..."

Shen Qingqiu gestured towards the street.

"Oh yeah! Goodbye! Goodbye Shen Yuan!"

"Yeah... Goodbye." What a silly child.

The boy ran into the rain, his arms over his head. Once more, only the pattering sound of the rain occupies Shen Qingqiu.

"MeOw," wait, also that cat who's still licking himself.

Shen Qingqiu ignored the cat

Luo Binghe huh?

Wait.

Luo Binghe???

Luo Binghe?!?!!?

"WAIT!"

Xiao Jiu choked.

"*hack* meOw-*hack* *COFF*" Xiao Jiu coughed out a hairball.

"...meow" damn that's a big one.

"..." Shen Qingqiu already can no longer see the boy through the sheets of rain.

After a while, he opened his umbrella and walked out into the rain. He begins going back from where he came.

At that moment Luo Binghe had reached his destination, a nearby bistro where his friends were waiting for him.

He, of course, does not know who Shen Qingqiu was. However, Shen Qingqiu does and is currently screaming internally.

After both the idiotic beings had left, Xiao Jiu finally jumped off the green bin thing.

Xiao Jiu with his chin and tail in the air walked out into the rain.

The cat hissed when the cold raw rain soaked into his white coat. Xiao Jiu made his way to the restaurant next door.

The cat climbed up the threshold and into the building.

"Meooow."

"Huh? A cat got in here!" a girl exclaimed.

"Eh? Xiao Jiu?" a man walked over and picked up the rain-soaked cat into their arms.

"What were you doing in the rain Xiao Jiu?" the man asked gently, patting the cat's head.

The cat purred, rubbing its head against the man's chest.

"Boss Yue, you know this cat?" the girl asked.

"You can say that," Yue Qingyuan said, "Ning Yingying, go heat a small bucket of water, would you?"

"Okay boss!!"

✨

Thank you for reading!

('▽')/✨

I hope you like this last part!

Comments and votes will be appreciated!

Word Count: 1264

A/N: Wine and Nine both sound like Jiu so SQQ got them confused. Sorta.

Lmao, Xiao Jiu, is not a stray cat after all.

Shen Qingqiu: "It's a small world after all. ... Fuck."